#Clip: ANZAC Interview with Minister of Defence – Can NZ Military defend the Realm of NZ?
This week’s 1-on-1 in 10 sees Minister of Defence Chris Penk join Martyn Bradbury to discuss rising Pacific tensions, New Zealand’s military readiness, and whether we need our own domestic drone industry.
With increasing strategic competition between China and the United States, concerns over Pacific security are rising. Is New Zealand capable of defending itself? Should New Zealand increase military spending? And what role could a domestic drone industry play in the future of national defence?
What Chris Penk says about New Zealand defence
Chris Penk discusses:
✈️ Whether New Zealand can defend the realm alone
🌏 China vs America: the biggest threat in the Pacific
🛰️ China’s naval activity in the Tasman Sea
🚁 Why New Zealand needs a domestic drone industry
🎖️ Veterans’ Affairs and the recent court ruling
🌺 The role of the RSA and veterans’ mental health
🕊️ What Anzac Day means in modern New Zealand
🏛️ Christopher Luxon leadership rumours
Why Pacific tensions matter to New Zealand
As tensions escalate globally and in our own backyard, this is a timely discussion about New Zealand’s independent foreign policy, military capability, and strategic future.
Our defense of our ‘realm’ is based entirely on our large allies, Australia and USA doing the heavy lifting. Hence our spending is geared towards big toys ( look at us , we bought helicopters) so we join their exercises. That might happen but what if they have their own problems.
Our defense strategy should be “You might have come here but we are going to make you wish you hadn’t’
First, our Air force should transform into a drone force, absolutely the way to go. Highly localized and able to disperse into small independent units able to operate from urban or bush area.
Next, we should become the country that owns the highest percentage of assault rifles in the world. Give every adult who wants one a semi automatic. Arm us to the teeth. The only catch is you must use two weeks of your annual leave training with the army in guerilla warefare.
Thats how small countries defeat large armies. That is the price, it is the only way to defend our country when the meltdown happens